Gal Martial Saint

"Shut up!" Elder Liu was in a fit of rage and refused to listen to any advice. "This matter is not up to you!"

With that, Elder Liu gave them no chance to refuse.

She swept her sleeve, and an irresistible surge of Spiritual Power instantly wrapped around Su He and Li Miao.

"Let's go!"

With a light shout, wind gathered beneath Elder Liu's feet as she stormed out of the alchemy room, dragging her two disciples who wore expressions of utter despair.

Chapter 35: Brains Buzzing

Elder Liu led her two disciples, charging furiously all the way to the Back Mountain of Huiyuan Gate.

If looks could kill, the flowers, grass, and trees along the path would have long since withered into a dead patch.

Su He and Li Miao followed behind their master, heads drooping like two quails about to be led to the execution ground.

At the entrance to the Side Courtyard, Elder Liu didn't even bother to knock. With a wave of her sleeve, the two heavy Rosewood Gates burst open with a thunderous bang, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Where is Elder Ren?"

This sharp shout, infused with dense Spiritual Power, shook the leaves from the trees in the courtyard. The Spirit Crane that had just been coaxed down shuddered again, flapping its wings and vanishing without a trace.

Hearing this commotion, Ren Wencai not only showed no anger but slowly stood up, brushed the dirt off his hands, and plastered on that trademark cheerful grin that made people want to punch him.

"Oh, if it isn't Junior Sister Liu? What wind blows you here? A rare guest, a rare guest indeed!"

He put on airs as he greeted her, his gaze sweeping over the two female disciples behind Elder Liu—their faces pale, their eyes darting away—and understood everything in an instant.

Looks like that kid Enchuan wasn't wrong; the complaint had come right to his doorstep.

Elder Liu snorted coldly, refusing to play along.

"Spare me your grinning! Ren Wencai, you've raised a fine Disciple!"

"Ah, Junior Sister, what do you mean by that?"

Ren Wencai feigned surprise, his eyes wide.

"All my disciples here are well-behaved and sensible. How could they have angered you?"

"Well-behaved and sensible?"

Elder Liu laughed in anger, pointing at Su He and Li Miao behind her.

"Look for yourself! What have your disciples done to these two girls? One has a neck injury, the other internal damage to the lungs! Is this what you call well-behaved?!"

Ren Wencai followed her finger, clicked his tongue twice, and put on a pained expression.

"Oh dear, who did this? So lacking in chivalry toward the fairer sex? They really deserve a beating!"

"Stop playing dumb!"

Elder Liu stepped forward, pressing the attack.

"If you don't give me an explanation today, I'll tear down this shabby courtyard of yours! Hand over that Disciple of yours, Jiang Lu, and that accomplice, Gu Chengming!"

"Jiang Lu?"

Ren Wencai paused.

He had originally thought she was here to cause trouble for Gu Chengming, but from the sound of it, the main culprit was Jiang Lu?

He was a shrewd man too. His eyes rolled, sweeping over Su He and Li Miao, and seeing their guilty expressions—like they wanted to burrow into a crack in the ground—he instantly understood.

So... they didn't dare admit Gu Chengming had beaten them and had pinned the blame on Jiang Lu instead?

Ren Wencai barely suppressed his laughter, but his face took on a grave "I see" expression.

"You're saying Jiang Lu did it?"

"Nonsense!"

Elder Liu fumed. "If it weren't for Jiang Lu relying on his First Realm Level Seven cultivation and ganging up with someone to ambush them, how could my two disciples have suffered so badly? Two grown men bullying two weak women—have they no shame?!"

"Cough, cough..."

Ren Wencai coughed twice to hide the twitching at the corners of his mouth.

What a fine ambush. What a fine First Realm Level Seven.

This Junior Sister Liu had probably been completely fooled by her two disciples.

But he didn't call her out. Instead, he followed her lead.

"If that's the case, then we really need to get to the bottom of it. Someone, go fetch Jiang Lu and Gu Chengming!"

A moment later.

Gu Chengming and Jiang Lu were brought to the courtyard.

The moment Jiang Lu stepped inside and saw Elder Liu's face, black as the bottom of a pot, and the two Senior Sisters who had clearly tattled with lies, his legs began to tremble.

"Disciple... pays respects to Elder Ren, pays respects to Elder Liu."

The two bowed.

Elder Liu didn't even look at Gu Chengming. Her phoenix eyes were fixed dead on Jiang Lu, her gaze as if she wanted to devour him alive: "It's you? Relying on your high cultivation to ambush my disciple?"

Jiang Lu: "Ah?"

He looked up with a completely bewildered expression, glanced at Elder Liu, then at Su He, and pointed at his own nose: "Me? Ambush?"

"You still dare to quibble!"

Gu Chengming thought to himself, Junior Brother Jiang, your luck really is terrible.

Sticking to his earlier resolve not to drag others into trouble, he stepped forward, blocking Jiang Lu behind him and cutting off the conversation.

Gu Chengming's expression was calm. He cupped his hands to Elder Liu in a respectful salute, his tone sincere: "Elder Liu, this matter has nothing to do with Junior Brother Jiang."

"The situation was urgent at the time. I acted alone. Junior Brother Jiang merely watched from the side and did not make a move."

The scene fell silent for a moment.

Elder Liu was stunned, then as if she had heard some enormous joke, she laughed in fury: "You?"

A First Realm Level Four? Defeated a Level Five and a Level Six?

These people from Huiyuan Gate—why were none of them honest? The old one played dumb, and the young one spouted nonsense!

"Junior Sister, calm down, calm down."

Ren Wencai, who had been watching the show, finally spoke.

He stepped forward with a smile, like a peacemaker placing himself between them: "Since both sides have their own stories, this matter is hard to resolve. Our Wenjian Sect values reasoning with people, though sometimes we also value subduing them with force."

"How about this."

Ren Wencai revealed his true intent: "Since Junior Sister thinks my disciple was bullying others by relying on his strength, let's have a live spar right here."

"Let this kid Gu Chengming have another bout with your two esteemed disciples."

"If he loses, then he was spouting nonsense, and Jiang Lu's ambush is confirmed. You can handle it however you see fit."

"But if he wins..."

"Then it proves this kid really does have the skill, and the earlier misunderstanding is cleared up. What do you say?"

Elder Liu sneered inwardly.

So this is your game, Ren Wencai? You've been waiting for this?

Trying to exonerate Jiang Lu this way? Do you really think my two disciples are made of mud?

Last time was an ambush. This time, face-to-face, with their guard up, how could they lose to some trash at First Realm Level Four?

This is practically a handle handed to me on a silver platter!

"Fine!"

Elder Liu agreed without hesitation.

Su He and Li Miao exchanged glances, both seeing despair in each other's eyes.

But things had already reached this point; they were on a tiger's back and couldn't dismount.

Su He gritted her teeth, comforting herself inwardly: Last time, I was caught off guard, plus that kid shouting 'Robber Cultivator' threw me off, so he got close and ambushed me.

This time is different.

This is a fair spar. I'm prepared, I have the range advantage, and I'm still Level Five against Level Four!

As long as I keep my distance and blast him with spells, how could I possibly lose?!

"Disciple... as you command!" Su He stepped forward reluctantly.

Two breaths later.

Looking at the two figures lying on top of each other, unconscious.

The wind blew through the courtyard, stirring up a few fallen leaves.

The scene was extremely awkward, dead silent.

Ren Wencai's shoulders were shaking; he could barely hold back his laughter.

And Elder Liu, staring at her two fallen disciples, then at Gu Chengming, who had sheathed his sword and stood there with a calm expression.

Her head was buzzing.

Chapter 36: Monthly Ticket Reward

The ten-thousand-word update promised earlier has been delivered.

I'll also open a small reward event.

One extra chapter for every thousand daily recommendations (max one per day).

One extra chapter for every two hundred monthly tickets (no upper limit).

One extra chapter for every two hundred blades.

As for tips, no need—keep them and treat yourselves to something nice.

Chapter 37: Thirty-Five — Flowing Light Sword Shadow

In the courtyard, a pin drop could be heard.

Only a gentle breeze passed through, rolling a few withered leaves in a circle beside the unconscious Su He and Li Miao.

[Hundred Bones Ming watched this scene, feeling a thrill shoot from its tailbone straight to its crown.]

[Wasn't this just the plot from those storybooks—where the villainous lackey, unable to match the protagonist, runs back crying for reinforcements? The elder arrives in a fury, intending to crush the protagonist with authority, only for the protagonist to remain Neither Humble nor Arrogant, publicly humiliating the other party once more and making them lose all face?]

[This further confirmed its theory that Gu Chengming was its "Heavenly Fate Golden Finger."]

[Hundred Bones Ming Favorability +3]

Gu Chengming listened to the excited Murmur in his mind, his expression still calm. He merely flicked his wrist, twirled the Wooden Sword into a flourish, and reversed his grip to rest it behind his back.

"You yield."

Elder Liu stood rooted to the spot, her chest heaving, her face ugly. She stared fixedly at her two disgraceful Disciples on the ground, her fingers trembling, her knuckles white.

How could she still fail to understand what had truly happened?